Work to start on new special needs school on Anglesey

WORK to build a new special needs school on Anglesey should start after April 2011 as the Welsh Assembly Government announced it would give £7.6m towards the £10m scheme creating scores of construction jobs.

WORK to build a new special needs school on Anglesey should start after April 2011 as the Welsh Assembly Government announced it would give £7.6m towards the £10m scheme creating scores of construction jobs.

He believed that the council should make a decision on siting the Ysgol y Bont at land near Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni in September.

The current school built in the early 1970s caters for 70 pupils from the age of four to 16 with learning difficulties.

Over the last 30 years the Parc Bryn Cefni Industrial Estate has sprouted up around the school.

Cllr Eurfryn Davies, told the Mail: “This is fantastic news, we are hoping to build the new school at the secondary school campus, but it will totally separate.

“We’ve been given a promise of £7.6m from the Assembly and will be putting around £3m in ourselves.

“We’ve held numerous meetings over the last few weeks with staff, parents and governors and pupils to explain our plans, and there’s no problem in moving.”

Over the last few years, there have been discussions to move Ysgol y Bont to alternative sites.

It had been expected that the school would move with Ysgol y Graig primary school to their new site on Talwrn Road, but parents campaigned against the move.

It has also been discussed about moving to a site in Holyhead but the need to keep the school central to the whole of Anglesey ruled that option out.

Cllr Davies continued: “I know there will be those wondering why Ysgol y Bont did not move with Ysgol y Graig to their new site.

“As part of the special needs education for teenage children there’s a need to teach them life skills, one of these is to go out to town shopping.

“It will be easier to do this from the Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni site rather than Ysgol y Graig which is further away from the town centre.

“The present building is simply not fit for purpose, and the industrial estate is not really conducive to having a school there.

“The standard of education, as has been shown in Estyn reports is of the highest calibre, and this project will create jobs in Llangefni during a time of economic uncertainty.”

Cllr Davies, added: “We will be moving quickly to take this forward.

“The next step will be a report on the consultation will go before the next full; council meeting in September.

“This funding is tied in with money for the next financial year, so work should start on building the new school after April 2011.”

Anglesey County Council’s head of education, Gwyn Parri, said: “ Submitting the proposal to the Assembly was a demanding exercise that involved the support of a number of departments within the council, and I am grateful to colleagues for their contributions.

“If we are able to adhere to our planned schedule, the new school should open its doors in September 2013.”

Anglesey AM and WAG deputy first minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said: “I welcome this grant for Ysgol y Bont in Llangefni as part of the Welsh Government’s funding package to improve school buildings in Wales.”